Hard Rock Cafe’s 16th Street Mall lease is coming to an end this year

Hard Rock Cafe, a mainstay of Denver’s 16th Street Mall, could be getting ready to play its last show.

The Florida-based chain of rock ’n’ roll-themed restaurants made its debut at 500 16th St. Mall in downtown Denver when the Denver Pavilions first opened in 1998. But the Hard Rock Cafe’s lease is ending this fall. So, will the Hard Rock Cafe close for good?

Well, Mark Sidell, president of Gart Properties, which owns the Denver Pavilions, confirmed that a possible closure “is not inconsistent with the previous discussions we’ve had with the company.”

Hard Rock Cafe did not respond to a request for comment.

If the tourist attraction, popular for its burgers, rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia and a 20-foot neon guitar sign, does close before the end of the year, this will be the first time that the 11,736-square-foot space, which sits in a prime spot on the 16th Street Mall, will be available for lease.